Bending tool for shaping electrical conductors



June 24, 1958 J. H. BUNDY 2,839,958

BENDING TOOL FOR SHAPING ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS Filed Oct. 25. 1956 Will ""111 1 n H Ii |'l m new 70/? J. 6 BUNDY United States Patent BENDING T001, 1 9R SHAPING ELECTRICAL QQNDUCTGRS John H. Bundy, Lincoln, Nebr., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 25, 1956, Serial No. 618,332

2 Claims. (Cl. 81-15) This invention relates to hand tools and more particularly to bending tools for shaping electrical conductors.

An object of this invention is to provide a simple and economical tool for forming terminals.

Another object of this invention is to provide a hand tool for simultaneously forming a plurality of parallel electrical terminals.

A further object of this invention is to provide a hand tool for forming terminals and which is cammed out of engagement with the terminals in one continuous movement.

One embodiment of a hand tool for forming electrical terminals may include a flat member having a tapered forward end for engaging a pair of terminals to spread them when the member is forced therebetween. The member is also provided with a pair of grooves which begin at the forward end of the member and diverge with uniformly decreasing depth toward the outer rear edges of the flat member. These grooves receive a pair of terminals to fan them when the tool is forced toward the terminals, the sloping bottoms of the grooves camming the member off the terminals as they are formed.

Fig. l is a side view of a tool embodying the principal features of the invention, showing the manner in which the bottoms of the grooves are sloped relative to the tool;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the tool showing the grooves which diverge from the tapered forward end of the tool;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view showing the forward end of the tool positioned to engage and form a plurality of terminals;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view showing the tool in engagement with a plurality of terminals; and

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4 showing the formed terminals in profile.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, a handle 11 is shown secured to a tang 12 of a flat member 14, a forward end portion of which is bent slightly out of alignment with the tang 12 to aid an operator in aligning the member 14 with a terminal group 24 secured to a block 25 and having terminals 21, 22, 34 and 35 to be formed. The member 14 is provided with a pair of grooves 18 and 19 which diverge from the forward end of the member 14 toward the other end thereof to receive the terminals 21 and 22 2,839,958 Patented June 24, 1958 of the terminal group 24 to bend them outward (Fig. 4). Bottom surfaces 27 and 28 of the grooves 18 and 19, respectively, are sloped relative to the member 14 as illustrated in Fig. 1. As the member 14 is forced into the terminal group 24, the terminals 21 and 22 slide along the bottom surfaces 27 and 28 to cam the member 14 out of the plane of the terminal group 24 to free the member 14 from the terminals as they are formed.

The forward end of the flat member 14 is also provided with surfaces 31 and 32 which engage terminals 34 and 35, respectively, of the terminal group 24 to bend these terminals outward when the member 14 is manually moved into the position illustrated in Fig. 4.

In operation, an operator manually positions the member 14 in alignment with the terminals 21, 22, 34 and 35 (Fig. 3) and pushes it toward the block 25. As the member 14 moves toward the block 25, the surfaces 31 and 32 engage the terminals 34 and 35 and the terminals 21 and 22 enter the grooves 18 and 19, respectively. Further movement of the member 14 fans the terminals 21, 22, 34 and 35 as illustrated in Fig. 4, the member 14 being gradually cammed free of the terminals by the surfaces 27 and 28 which are in engagement with the terminals 21 and 22. The member 14 is then manually Withdrawn and moved into position to fan another group of terminals.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of this invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A tool for shaping preformed terminals, comprising a flat member having a tapered forward end for engaging a pair of terminals to fan them when the member is moved therebetween and also having a plurality of grooves diverging from said tapered forward end for receiving a plurality of other terminals positioned between said pair of terminals to fan said other terminals, said grooves being of a depth which decreases uniformly with distance from the tapered forward end, whereby said other terminals are cammed out of said grooves as the tool is moved between the pair of terminals.

2. A tool for shaping preformed terminals, comprising a fiat elongated member having a tapered forward end for engaging a pair of terminals to bend them and also having a plurality of grooves which extend at angles to each other from said tapered forward end for receiving a plu rality of other terminals to bend them, said grooves having sloping bottom surfaces which interconnect opposite faces of the flat member, whereby said other terminals engage the sloping bottom surfaces to cam the member out of engagement with the pair of terminals and said other terminals as they are bent.

No references cited. 

